Cyprus ready to tackle medicine counterfeiting

Cyprus will be ready to implement the Medicrime convention, which aims to tackle counterfeit medical products, by January 1, 2016, the health minister said on Tuesday.

In a digitised world with online sites selling medicine it is harder to monitor products that are safe for the public while an Interpol campaign earlier this year that included Cyprus, saw some 2,000 websites taken down that were selling counterfeit medicine valued up to €80 million, head of the state lab, Popi Kanari reading the minister’s speech said.

Speaking during the fourth regional conference on the Medicrime convention held in Larnaca, Kanari said

“Cyprus not only has the possibility to (fight counterfeit medical products) but can play an important role in the most eastern borders of the European Union and act as a bridge between Europe, Asia and Africa” that are all trying to fight the problem.

Pharmaceutical companies and importers are fully supportive of Cyprus’ move while the two-day, conference that began on Monday, “will help improve cooperation to combat counterfeiting medical products and committing crimes of a similar nature”, she added.

Cyprus signed the convention in 2011 in Moscow because of the state’s belief that due to Cyprus’ geographical location some may have been using the island as a transit station to supply counterfeit medicine to Europe or from Europe to other countries.

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